Cablevision rebrands as Izzi Telecom

Mexico’s Grupo Televisa-backed cable operator Cablevision has changed its name to Izzi Telecom, effective 1 November. The launch of the new brand has been accompanied by an aggressive marketing campaign offering unlimited internet and telephony services for MXN400 (USD29.61) per month; pay-TV services will be commercialised separately, also under the same Izzi brand.

In an interview with Reuters prior to the launch, Adolfo Lagos, Grupo Televisa’s vice president for telecoms, noted: ‘I think this product will have a massive take-up. There is an unmet demand here. There is a lack of connectivity that’s almost scandalous … and I think that now there are the conditions for that to change. In the next two years I’d like to see that our network is the most important in the country … our coverage has to get closer to 90% of Mexico. Right now we’re below 50%, and that’s a priority.’ Lagos confirmed that Grupo Televisa has spent around USD250 million this year in network improvements.

TeleGeography notes that Grupo Televisa agreed to sell its 50% equity stake in mobile provider Iusacell to Grupo Salinas in September this year, leaving it with three major telecoms assets: Cablevision, Cablemas and TVI. It remains unclear as to whether Cablevision’s sister cablecos will ultimately be folded into the new Izzi Telecom unit as well.